Tomatoes are self-pollinating. In fact tomatoes have what are called 'perfect flowers'. The flower of a tomato produces its own pollen and can produce a fruit without pollen from another plant, nor even pollen from another flower.

However, it is possible for pollen to come from another flower; and yes, that means a flower from another plant. Therefore, 'cross pollination' can occur with any tomato plant, including the Silvery Fir Tree variety.

In order to perfectly ensure there is no cross-pollination, either - one or more plants of the same variety must be isolated from other varieties, or - one or more flowers on a plant need to be isolated from receiving pollen from undesired varieties.

One method used by backyard gardeners for flower isolation is bagging (where a bag, or a breathable cloth, is placed around the flower(s) to ensure insects and wind cannot spread pollen from another variety to the protected flower.)

Edit: I should add that because tomatoes do have 'perfect flowers', usually - but not always - their flowers do pollinate themselves without the help of insects, wind, nor any outside intervention.

The probability of cross pollination is very low in tomatoes. However, if you want to save seeds you can do a few things. Now that you have bagged a cluster ( before flowering) you should be fine.

Sey

I missed where you said you already bagged one... good catch Sey.

I know tomato flowers are supposed to be perfect and all... but with regular leaf and potato leaf and currant... I was just wondering where Silvery Fir came in as because it has such unique foliage.

Hi bees... the unique foliage is a genetic expression. Just like some tomatoes have regular leaves, and others have 'potato leaves', that variety has another leaf form, but it still is a tomato.

Whether or not you can get that foliage to appear in any crosses you might make depends on a number of factors... including whether or not it's a regressive gene. The chances increase when both parents carry, and/or express the genetic trait.

A good breeder could probably develop other strains expressing that leaf style, but it would take time and effort.

Silvery Fir Tree is a regular leaf tomato. It is what is called a "wispy foliage" variety in its type of over-all plant growth as are a few others. But the leaves are still regular. Most all currant-type varieties are also regular leaf. There are 3 types of leaves - regular, potato, and rugose and a good FAQ here about them.

< I hear that some tomatoes are more or less prone to cross pollinating. Like potato leaf with cross more easily, or currant types will cross with pretty much anything..>

Can you tell us the source of that info? It is an overly broad claim to make as it is the form of the blossom, specifically the length of the stigma of the variety, that affects any marginally increased frequency of crossing, not its leaf form or even its type. But that frequency is still quite low in all types of plants.

In other words the frequency of crossing in potato leaf plants is no greater than with regular leaf plants or rugose leaf plants. And even tho currant types generally have extended stigmas, 9 times out of 10 it still pollinates itself rather than being pollinated by something else.

Dave

I don't think that SFT is an exception when it comes to flower type and pollination. The only difference is in leave shape, RL, carrot like and slightly silverish in color. I grew one last year .

Sey

I've heard it in some random blog types of action.. that potato leaf is more likely to cross with other potato leaf, regular leaf with other regular leaf, rugose with other rugose.. and currant is closer to wild form or it's just much more prolific with blooms or something like that and that's why it's more likely to cross with other stuff. I've also read around on some random blogs that OP/heirloom types are more likely to cross than more modern hybrids. I can't say it's correct, that's part of why I asked about it here on GW- I usually find more reliable information here.

But good to know that Silvery Fern is a regular leaf type.

I think cross pollination can happen with all varieties , regardless of leaf type.

Sey

"But good to know that Silvery Fern is a regular leaf type."

Just curious, but what if it wasn't?

"[leaf type vs. pollination] just passing on inaccurate info (as many bloggers are prone to do)"

"It is the variety and whether or not its bloom has an elongated stigma
that has any effect on the odds of it crossing. The leaf type is not
relevant to the issue."

Agreed with digdirt.

All (or at least the majority of) races of currant tomatoes (which are a different species and not garden tomatoes at all) have extended stigmas and are notorious for cross pollinating for this reason. Heirlooms in general have a higher incidence of extended stigmas, and potato leaf is more commonly found in heirlooms I guess, so I can see the confusion. The answer is as posted above ... you need to check on the variety. In this case Silvery Fir Tree. Ignore the leaves and look closely at a picture of the flower. Do you see the stigma (like a club) extending through the apical hole in the anther cone in the fertile flower? If so, it is "elongated" and the pollen more accessible for cross pollination. I couldn't find a picture so the question specifically remains unanswered of the OP. With a good picture of a SFT fertile flower if you see the extended stigma you can judge for yourself.

Cheers

PC

Thanks guys.. I guess I didn't realize it, but this was exactly the kind of information I was looking for, and got incorrectly from some blogs.

I thought I was merely looking for some leaf information, and here I got an excellent amount of real information that is much more useful... we are about to get whammed by a Tstorm, but hopefully I can get a peek at my toms stigmas tomorrow when it's "fingers crossed" not over 100 degrees with the heat index and storms coming in, lol.